The undersigned cultural heritage and archaeological organizations express their dismay over the injuries and loss of life from the January 24, 2014 truck bombing in Cairo and resulting damage to the Museum of Islamic Arts, The Egyptian National Library and Archives, and other historic buildings in the immediate area.

We support the desire of the Egyptian people to exercise their basic civil rights. We also share their concern about the losses to cultural heritage that Egypt has already sustained and the threat of further such losses.

We call on the Egyptian authorities and all other parties to exercise their responsibilities to protect their country’s irreplaceable cultural heritage. At the same time, we urge international organizations to help to assess the damage caused and to support conservation and preservation efforts.